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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.5 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 10 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by misterstarre on 10/18/2020 & rated 94 points: Raspberry, potpurri and spice on the nose. Plenty of fine sediment in this bottle worried me a little, and this may have had some heat exposure judging by bricking in the color and a faint whiff of permanent marker stemming from a cooked fruit, compote-like note, but none of that showed up in the taste. This was a little tight on opening highlighting fresh red fruit leaning a little tart. With air, the fruit unfolded, got a touch sweeter and fuller, and I tasted that compote note I smelled earlier. With time, the body migrated from medium-light to medium. This was mostly cherry and raspberry with some stem, all accented by spice. Lovely. (544 views) | | | Tasted by misterstarre on 3/2/2019 & rated 93 points: Beautiful light pinkish red color, lightly opaque. Softened, bright red fruit. Sweet cherry. Tomato confit. Stem, sage, and this Sonoma garrigue, chaparral, underbrush terroir I wish I had a name for that keeps popping up in 15+ year old pinots from the region that takes me to Pignan more than Burgundy. Missing the depth and spice of some of the Rocchioli and Hirsch I’ve had by WS. Still quite good, if not a bit more linear and focused. (727 views) | | | Tasted by vindictive on 8/13/2015: beautiful wine - very elegant at this stage - it is light garnet and cloudy with leesy sediment (botched the pour - should have decanted). Lovely complex smells that are pinot, but distinctly California. Wonderful example of how good, nuanced and terroir expressive California pinot can be. So different from the predominant style. (1836 views) | | | Tasted by arthrovine on 5/8/2015: Intention was to audoze... cork fell into bottle. Cork was also mobile and soft. {sigh} need an ahso or other decent pull. Was nervous as the top of the cork was black. Poured into a decanter gently and served immediately.
Nose was delicate old red toned fruit pinot with old leather nuances. Screamed history. MMs of bricking and somewhat cloudy red/brick appearance. The wine flowed across the palate with graceful acidity and delicate cherry flavors. Wine was fully resolved. Agree with gutt's assertion of slight imbalance. No alcoholic detraction. Finish was lengthy and thought-provoking. Awesome.
Better than the 1996 I had recently. (1863 views) | | | Tasted by gutt22 on 2/19/2010: Fully mature, with a light red color and plenty of bricking around the rim of the glass. Aromatic nose, with a still-vibrant streak of red cherry fruit on the nose, along with flowers and mushrooms. Unmistakably Allen Vineyard and Russian River Valley. In the mouth, still alive but fully resolved. Light cherry, dried flowers, spice, and mushrooms on the palate. The acidity is still kicking, putting the wine just slightly out of balance. Finish fades. A- (3255 views) | | | Tasted by chad1616 on 10/18/2009 & rated 95 points: This wine is pure elegance and grace. At 16 years old this RRV pinot still wowed us all. Mellow fruit was followed by earthy flavors that lingered long after each sip. (3137 views) | | | Tasted by gutt22 on 12/30/2008: 13.2% alcohol. I was already a believer. This wine is enough to push me into an unquestioning follower in the Cult of Burt Williams. This is a fantastic wine. A pure, elegant, graceful, feminine wine. Very light rose petal color. Clear at the rim. Shows its age through the lightened color. It was lighter than the 1975 Auslese we drank this night. Bouquet was a phenomenal panoply of the entire Pinot spectrum: red cherry, black cherry, baking spice, earth, refined flowers, mushrooms. In the mouth, a special texture ... like you only find in the best Pinots. Unfolding layer after layer of flavor to you, subtly and gracefully like a beautiful woman coming to dinner and commanding the room with her looks, only to captivate you throughout the evening by her shimmering personality. Red and black cherry fruit is still lively, underscored by a hint of watermelon. The complexity is substantial and stunning, yet it doesn't overshadow the purity of the fruit and the grace of the structure, with earth, forest floor, mushrooms, and flowers all taking their turn in peaking out from behind the cherry flavors. Still a touch of acidity keeps a lively focus to the wine. Long, smooth, gentle finish that persists with surprising length. Superb. A (3037 views) | | | Tasted by sawira on 12/19/2008 & rated 92 points: Very light colored, almost salmon. Very much at peak and open. What I call a "tea leaves" wine. Thin, watery, nice bitter sweetness. Pinot nose and palate. Varietally correct, and very a point, but still - a little ho hum. Like, "So what?" Good, clean, sweet, easy and "correct", but.....Maybe I expected too much??? Drink up for sure, this is not going to get better. (2261 views) | | | Tasted by mdlazar on 9/5/2006 & rated 95 points: My best american pinot to date. Ok, I didnt get the WS thing until this bottle.... A theoretic blend of morey and pommard....rich, classic black cherry framed in smoke and iron. Leather melds with subtle earth and a core of sweet finish...an amazing surprise. I see no reason why this is going anywhere soon. (2919 views) |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Williams Selyem: Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard 1987–2016 (Jun 2018) (6/18/2018)
(Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard Sonoma County Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Williams Selyem Producer websitePinot Noir Varietal character (Appellation America) | Varietal article (Wikipedia)
Pinot Noir is the Noble red grape of Burgundy, capable of ripening in a cooler climate, which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot will not reliably do. It is unpredictable and difficult both to grow and to vinify, but results in some of the finest reds in the world. It is believed to have been selected from wild vines two thousand years ago. It is also used in the production of champagne. In fact, more Pinot Noir goes into Champagne than is used in all of the Cote d'Or! It is also grown in Alsace, Jura, Germany, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Italy, and so forth, with varying degrees of success.
Pinot Noir is one of the world's most prestigious grapes. It is very difficult to grow and thrives well in France, especially in Champagne and Burgundy. Pinot Noir thrives less in hot areas, is picky on soil, and deserves some oak storage.
Pinot Noir, or Blauburgunder / Spätburgunder in German, is a blue grapevine - and, as the German name suggests, the grape comes originally from Burgundy in France.
The grape, which thrives in calcareous soils, is used primarily for the production of red wine, and it is widely regarded as producing some of the best wines in the world. The wine style is often medium-bodied with high fruit acidity and soft tannins. It can be quite peculiar in fragrance and taste, and not least in structure - which may be why it is referred to as "The Grapes Ballerina".
Pinot Noir is also an important ingredient in sparkling wines, not least in champagne since it is fruity, has good acidity and contains relatively little tannins.
The grape is considered quite demanding to grow. The class itself consists of tightly packed grapes, which makes it more sensitive to rot and other diseases.
Pinot Noir changes quite easily and is genetically unstable. It buds and matures early which results in it often being well ripened. Climate is important for this type of grape. It likes best in cool climates - in warm climates the wines can be relaxed and slightly pickled.
In cooler climates, the wine can get a hint of cabbage and wet leaves, while in slightly warmer regions we often find notes of red berries (cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants), roses and slightly green notes when the wine is young. With age, more complex aromas of forest floor, fungi and meat emerge.
In Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Hungary, it often produces light wines with less character. However, it has produced very good results in California, Oregon and New Zealand.
With its soft tannins and delicate aroma, it is excellent for white fish, chicken and light meat. For the stored wines you can serve small game. Classic duck breast is a matter of course, a Boeuf Burgundy and Pinot Noir are pure happiness.
Pinot Noir loses quality by over-harvesting.
Pinot Noir is prone to diseases, especially rot and mildew. Viruses cause major problems especially in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir are large round grapes with thin skins. Relatively high in alcohol content. Medium rich tannins and good with acid.
As a young person, Pinot Noir has a distinctly fruity character such as raspberries, cherries and strawberries.
A mature Pinot Noir, the taste is different. Cherry goes into plum and prune flavors. It smells of rotten leaves, coffee, moist forest floor and animal wine. This must be experienced.
In warm climates you find boiled plum, some rustic, little acid.
If the grapes are over-grown, the wine will be thin, with little color and flavor.Allen VineyardThe Allen vineyard is leased and farmed by the Rochioli family, and can therefore technically be labeled "Rochioli Vineyard." In addition the obvious considerations of meticulous farming, location, climate and soil, there may be another factor which contributes to the success of wines produced from the Allen and Rochioli vineyards. These vineyards may be among the oldest vineyards in the Russian River Valley to be planted to the one of the highly desirable "Pommard" clones (alongside Dijon 115, Wente, and Clones 76 & 15 respectively). Conversely, the vast majority of Pinot Noir vines planted in California during this time were "Martini" clone … a sparkling wine clone not well suited for still red wine production.
Exact position on weinlagen-infoUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyRussian River Valley Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia |
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